Dalip Singh: Maharaja of Punjab

Dalip Singh was born in 1838, and when his father died he was less than a year old. His childhood witnessed the strenuous battle for succession. Dalip was installed the Maharaja of Punjab in 1843 when he was only five. He was put under the charge of a tutor guardian, Dr John Login. Dalip remained in Lahore till he was 12, after which he was sent to Fatehgarh, a village in U.P. From there, he was taken to England in 1854.

Amidst all the gaieties of Eleveden Hall and the pleasures of and English-married life, it was impossible for him to forget that he was by birth a native of India. And that we think is reason enough to impel him to visit the country of hisforefathers."

Disillusioned, Dalip realised that he was in exile. He made up his mind to leave England forever. He left for India with his family in April 1886, but was not allowed to proceed beyond Aden. Thakur Singh Sandhanwalia, his cousin, met him there and persuaded him to return to his own faith which he agreed to, and the ceremony of Pahul was gone through in the presence of Thakur Singh and four other Sikhs.